Lubricator



R. P. GERLAGH.

LUBRIGATOR. l

Patented-Mar. 9. 1886.

(No MMSI.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPH P. GERLACH,

OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

L-U B RICATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 337,392, dated March 9, 1856.

Application filed July 7, 1885. Serial No. 170,891.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH P. GERLACH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain Improvements in Lubricators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements increasing the steadiness of feed from a lubricating-cup and enabling the ready adjustment of pressure of the feeding-spring, and -to certaindetails in the construction ofsuch cups, as willibe hereinafter more fully described.

In carrying out my invention the casing of the lubricator is made in two parts screwed together, the internal screw-thread being made upon either part and the external thread upon the other. The construction of these two parts is such that when in position the s.' rew-th reads disengage from each other and occupy offsets, which permit the free relative turning of one part upon or within the other. Vithin the part or cup containing the lubricant works a piston or plunger moving freely by asquare joint upon its stem, which at its upper end screws into the other part or cap of the lubricator, in a direction opposite to that of the screw-thread uniting the cup and cap. A bent plate-spring engages between the piston or plunger and the shoulder on the stem to force the said plunger down with a yielding pressure, and thus expel the oil from the cup.

The plunger is held sufficiently from rotation by friction on the sides of the cup or otherwise, and thus retains the stern stationary, so that bya slight turn of the cap of the lubricator the stem may be forced down through the plunger, compressing the spring and thus renewing its pressure upon the plunger when necessary. l

In order that my invention may be more fully understood, I Will describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure I is a side elevation of my improved lubricator, which is primarily intended for feeding solidified oil, or grease not in a liquid condition. Fig. II is a vertical sectional View of the same, with the feed-spring in side elevation. Fig. III is a perspective view of the feed-spring detached Fig. IV is a vertical sectional v'iew of a modification.

v'.lhe casing of the lubricator is made up of (No model.)

a cup, 1, having neck 3 for screwing onto a. box, journal, crank, or other part to be lubricated, and a cap, 2, having internal right-andleft screw, 4, engaging with a corresponding external screw, 5, on the cup. The screw- 'threaded portions 4 5 are made in relief upon the surfaces of the cup and cap, or such surfaces are offset in such manner that the two threads will disengage when the two parts of the lubricator have been turned one on the other a few times, and thus while the cap is retained in position it may be freely rotated without tightening. The piston or plunger 6 fits closely in thevcup 1, and has asqnare central bearing for the square end of stem 7. Said stem has on its other end a left-handed screwthread engaging in a corresponding internal thread in the socket 8 of the cap 2. The stem 7 is shouldered at 9, and against said shoulder bears (either directly or through the medium of washer 10) abent platespring, 11, preferably of the form here shown, though other formsof plate-spring, capable of being compressed into a narrow space, may be substituted therefor. As here shown, the spring has two legs, 12, with slightly upturned feet 13 resting on the piston. It will now be seen that, the piston being held from rotation by friction on the sides of the cup or otherwise, a slight rotation of the ycap 2 will force the stem down through said piston and thus compress the spring 1l, and said spring gradually expanding will expel the lubricant in the cup through the neck 3. By a half-turn of the cap, therefore, the lubricator may be adjusted to run for from one to thirty days, depending on the speed and nature of the bearing beinglubricated. By placing the spring loosely on the stem it is rendered capable of being compressed between the cap and piston independently of the cup, by the continued turning of thecap down on the stem. The operation of refilling the cup is thus greatly facilitated and the necessary height of the cup reduced, enabling its use on small loose pulleys where higher cups could not be employed.

It is obvious that the construction may be modified in certain details without departing from the essentials of the invention. For exam ple, the cap instead of screwing onto the cup may screw into it, the position of the screwthreads being simply reversed, as shown in IOO Fig. IV, where Ialso show the directions of the threads on the cup and stem which may be the reverse of that shown in Fig. II. The spring` 11 may even be dispensed with, and the piston fixed to its stem. In this case the lubricator would be directacting, the cap being slightly turned Whenever it is desired to feed oil to the part being lubricated.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent: Y

1. A lubricator having a rotating cap, in combination with a piston having a non-rotating stem, threaded in said cap and forced down by the rotating of said cap, substantially as set forth.

2. In a lubricator, the combination, with a cup and cap forming the casing and capable of turning one on the other, of a stem having a screw-thread at one end for engaging with a corresponding interior screw-thread on said cap, a piston or plunger arranged to have free longitudinal movement on said stem, means for preventing rotary movement of said stem, and a feed-spring, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In combination with the lubricator cup, pistou or plunger, and stern having free 1ongitudinal movement in said piston or plunger and formed with a shoulder or stop, a platespring engaging between the shoulder or stop on said stem and the piston or plunger, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a lubricator, a cap having a threaded neck or threaded opening, in combination with a piston having a stein threaded in said neck and a feed-spring adapted, when the piston is in its extreme outer position, to come in contact with the surface of the cap, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a lubricator, the combination of a cap, a stern, and a piston or plunger having square bearing on the stem.` the stein and cap being connected, substantially as and for the pur-` pose set forth.

6. In combination with a lubricator cup, cap, piston, and stem connected to the cap, a bent plate-spring having legs resting on said piston on both sides of the stem, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In combination with a lubricator cup, cap, a piston, a stem connected to the cap andi having square bcaringfin said piston, and feedspring arranged and adapted to operate substantiall y as and -for the purpose set forth.

RUDOLPH P. GERLACH. 

